Nikon D5
Following yesterday's big announcement, I've now had the pleasure of being able to get my hands on the new Nikon D5, albeit in captivity but it still gave me a chance to see what improvements Nikon have added to the latest generation of their flagship DSLR range.
From first appearances, little has changed which I have to say is a good thing. Nikon have always nailed the ergonomics of their camera bodies in a way that competitors seem to miss every time. However, once it's in your hand, you notice that there are enough changes to make a difference to not just the output of the camera but how you work.
By now, anyone reading this will have already absorbed every ounce of the press releases/rumour site specifications/CES reports so it's a bit of a waste to go "full-nerd". To get it out of the way, and by way of an introduction, you can check out the official Nikon D5 page here.
From the details, everyone will undoubtedly have something that piques their interest, be it the higher frame rate, larger sensor, 4K video or the touch screen to name but a few choice morsels.
To me, the very first thing I did was open the card door. Every user of the Nikon D4 or D4s will have an opinion in some direction on the choice of both mixed media formats and XQD and you'll now see that Nikon has jumped into the XQD swimming pool with both feet. It's time to adopt the future, people. I have no issue with it personally. Well, I say that but I did have a number of issues with the initial Sony cards that were given away with the D4. Regularly splintering and failing, leaving shards of plastic in the reader slots, they were bad. If you're going to launch a new format, make it rock solid from the moment the starting gun fires or you're at risk of losing any hope of universal uptake. As it is, I stuck with it and after getting the latest generation of Sony and Lexar XQD cards, I can happily say that they are indeed brilliant. Fast to write and read, they make working at speed a pleasure. I just hope that people are prepared to make the jump.
There is the possibility of ordering a twin CF model instead, but I think that fortune favours the brave. Shoot into the future!
Next up is the touch screen which I am guessing may raise a few eyebrows. It was a real surprise to me on first experiencing it but I can see it becoming something that I get used to very quickly. Having the option to swipe left and right between frames, scrub over larger selections with a touch and slide action on the lower part of the screen and being able to double tap to zoom to 100% will undoubtedly save time, once you remember to look for it!
Onto the nitty gritty, the sensor is now larger, weighing in at 20.8MP, enough to add extra detail and crop options while not becoming as intensive as the D750 or *deep breath* the mahoosive D810 files. Using the D750 recently, I've become quite used to having a little extra data to work with so it's another welcome addition. A clever part is that larger sensors come with the risk of higher noise at low light but I think it's safe to say that this isn't an issue here. With a highest ISO of an eye-watering 102,400 (expandable to a frankly astounding 3,280,000!), it's going to be capable of whatever you throw at it. While this extreme ISO is not going to used for everyday work, the knock on effect is that ISO levels above 10,000 are suddenly a serious option, rather than a get-out-of-jail-free card. At the other end, the ISO goes down to 100 but I have to say it's rare that this will be used in England!
From my hands-on in controlled conditions, it wasn't possible to get an idea of how the autofocus performs other than to say that I didn't see any issues. The focus points have been breeding like rabbits with a somewhat bountiful 153 (with 99 cross-type points) compared to the previous 51. In the real world, this means that the focus points have been packed in at a denser rate and across a wider area, meaning that not only can you focus on points further away from the centre but the group focusing options has more information to play with, technically resulting in increased focus accuracy. One example of how it will improve the workflow of photographers in the real world is that when shooting upright, it is now possible to actually have a focus point on a subject's face when taking a full length, not on their upper chest.
With all that extra information and sensory-goodness, Nikon have broken out the big brains on the chip too, releasing the new Expeed 5.4K processor into the world. With wads more processing power, the chip set even now includes a processor that deals solely with autofocus, adding more weight to the claims of improved reliability and speed.
If it's all about speed for you, you'll be pleased to know that Nikon have squeezed an extra frame out of the drive in regular mode, taking the count to 12fps. If that's not quite enough to swallow up every individual slice of the moment for you, a new option has been introduced in the Nikon D5 whereby the mirror can be locked up during a burst, resulting in a startling 14fps. If you still miss the moment with that on your camera, you need to choose a different career path. The volume of the D5 shutter remains very similar to the D4s. Nikon state that it is actually quieter than the previous generation but it's not quite as quiet as the D800 or D810.
As was previously mentioned above, Nikon have had a bit of a jiggle with the layout of the D5, moving a few buttons around, swapping some over and and adding some new options. The one that will definitely catch me out for a few weeks is the new placement of the ISO button. On the D4 and D4s, I have always used the button to the rear of the screen to change ISO, meaning that I've had to take the camera body away from my face to make adjustments. With the new position of the ISO button next to the shutter release, it's now possible to keep your eye to the view finder while making changes, meaning that there's even less chance of missing that goal/smile/wardrobe malfunction.
Without giving a run-down of every movement of every button, the only other one that I'll mention here is the introduction of a third function button next to the lens mount area. This sits close to the current function button, that I use to disable the flash, and is bound to find some new job after a few days of fiddling.
Like the autofocus, I'm going to have to let down those wanting detailed hands-on thoughts on the video capabilities of the D5. There simply wasn't enough time to really sink my teeth into the options which, combined with my puddle-deep knowledge of video, means that I'll leave that to others to discuss at length. The main thing to know is that everything has taken another step forward with the introduction of 4K UHD video with 30fps.
Conclusion
As I stated at the start of this preview, my time with the Nikon D5 was limited to being a hands-on session within a lead-lined vault 3km below the earth's surface, deep in the core of Nikon ultra secret HQ in Kingston-upon-Thames, London. Because of this, I can't give any real world feedback on follow-focus in back-lit Autumn light or it's low ISO capability when shooting a late-night foot patrol in Afghanistan. However I can share my thoughts so far.
Ergonomically, the camera is another step forward, putting Nikon ahead of the game in terms of ease of use.
The addition of touch-screen technology and a larger sensor are enough to make this a new camera, rather than just a tweak from the D4s.
The ISO range is just astonishing.
The move to matching card slots was much needed. Finally, people can just get on with using their camera without having to carry two readers and two sets of media.
The introduction of 4K video will be a welcome addition to those who use it. I undoubtedly will, but any attempts from me to sound like I actually know what I'm talking about will rightly earn me some serious and deserved scorn.
The wider placements and increased quantity of focus points will make life a lot easier when working in time-critical environments. The D5 should see the end of any focus and recompose issues that occurred in previous generations.
I haven't worked out exactly how I'll use 14fps but I'm sure I'll work something out!
Nikon UK have very kindly promised to get one into my hands at the earliest possibility so stay tuned for some real-world tests soon. In the meantime, feel free to ask any questions through Twitter @tabascokid